The Laura Whitmore Meritorious Service Award recognizes the meritorious service of our professional colleagues. Laura Whitmore was a school psychologist in the Santa Clara Unified and Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School Districts and also served on the SCCASP board in a variety of capacities for many years. She was a passionate and fierce advocate for students. She established trusting relationships with parents and school staff to ensure understanding of and success for students with all types of learning and social-emotional needs. Her open-door policy and willingness to always make time for students during times of need facilitated healing for countless students over the years. Laura remained dedicated to students and her beloved profession through her death due to cancer in August of 2017. In the spirit of honoring Laura, this award is not a competition. You are encouraged to nominate a colleague you feel is deserving of such an award. The recipient(s) will be recognized at the June luncheon. The selection(s) will be made with the approval of the SCCASP Executive Board. The award will be made for outstanding work in one or more of the following categories:

1. Service to students
2. Service to teachers
3. Service to administrators
4. Service to parents
5. Service to community agencies
6. Service to the profession of School Psychology
7. Service to the training of School Psychologists

Only practicing school psychologists providing direct services to students, teachers, parents, or community agencies are eligible for CASP's Nadine M. Lambert OSP awards. Recipients must also be CASP members.

Award Criteria (Exemplary service in one or more areas.) Examples include, but are not limited to:

1. Service to Students
•  Assesses educational and psychological strengths and needs of individuals and groups of children.
• Assists in the solution of problems through counseling.
• Works with other specialists in planning and implementing individualized educational programs.
2. Service to Teachers
• Helps plan educational programs based upon identified strengths, and needs of individuals or groups of children.
• Works toward the solution of management problems of students whose learning or adjustment disabilities interfere with classroom activity.
• Provides information and ideas on the application of psychological research and theory to the classroom activity.
3. Service to Administrators.
• Facilitates educational planning through research and consultation.
• Assists with the design, preparation, and evaluation of proposals for educational programs funded by local, state and federal sources.
• Provides inservice education for teachers and staff.
• Participates in the development and evaluation of programs and services.
4. Service to Parents.

• Provides parents with information about the educational and psychological strengths and needs of their children.
• Explores means by which parents and the school can work together more effectively to assist the child.
• Expedites referrals to other specialists and agencies when appropriate.
• Offers parent education programs concerned with child rearing and school-related topics.

5. Service to Community Agencies.

• Identifies children with special needs beyond the scope of school resources.
• Provides information and interpretations, which facilitate service to children.
• Serves as school representative to help others understanding school goals, needs, and operations.
• Offers specialized educational programs and materials.

6. Service to the Profession.

• Is a member of CASP.
• Sees his or her work as a constant search for knowledge about human behavior, and uses such knowledge for the promotion of human welfare.
• Advances school psychology through the application of psychological knowledge to the problems of the schools with special attention to the interactions of the school system and the child.
• Governs his or her professional behavior by the Code of Ethics of CASP and NASP.
• Participates actively in appropriate local, regional, state, and national professional.